Lifetime prediction of EPDM sealing materials with thermal aging under constant compression

Abstract EPDM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer) is an important engineering sealing material. Thermal aging leads to a decline in its service life. In this study, the static sealing lifetime of EPDM sealing materials is investigated by thermal aging experiments under constant compression. Based on the variation pattern of compression set over aging time at different aging temperatures (80 °C, 100 °C, and 120 °C), a lifetime prediction model for EPDM sealing materials is derived using chemical reaction kinetics and the Arrhenius equation. The model is compared with the experimental results. The results show that the prediction model is highly reliable. The theoretical life of EPDM after thermal aging at 25 °C is 30.6 years, 53.1 years, and 89.1 years, respectively, when the compression set is 40%, 45%, and 50 %.